The Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group, based at Cambridge Airport, is set to benefit from a £30 million Ministry of Defence (MoD) research project looking into the viability of military lasers.

If successful, it is hoped that British armed forces could be using new equipment by the mid-2020s.

An MoD spokesman said the project will aim to “inform decisions on the future of the programme and help the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory to establish a ‘road map’ to an in-service capability.”

Harriet Baldwin, the Minister for Defence Procurement, said: “The UK has long enjoyed a reputation as a world leader in innovation, and it is truly ground-breaking projects like the Laser Directed Energy Weapon that will keep this country ahead of the curve.”